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CWU Receives Biggest Donation in Recent School History

A residence hall under construction on the Central Washington University campus—temporarily called “New Hall” in the plans—now has a permanent name: Dugmore Hall.

The CWU Board of Trustees adopted the new name to honor longtime CWU psychology professor Owen Dugmore, who died January 17, 2018.

The $40 million, 402-bed facility is currently being built on a nine-acre site at the northeast corner of East Dean Nicholson Boulevard and North Wildcat Way.

In addition to investing his time and talents at Central during his lengthy career, Dugmore also made the decision several years ago to designate CWU the sole beneficiary of his estate. His donation of nearly $1.2 million is the largest gift in recent university history.

Dugmore’s bequest provides financial support for scholarship endowments in the departments of music and psychology as well as funding for the counseling center.

“Professor Dugmore was a generous supporter of Central Washington University throughout his life,” noted CWU President James L. Gaudino. “He greatly cared about his students and believed he could learn as much from them as they could from him.

“It’s only appropriate that we name our newest residence hall for students in honor of a man who gave so much of his time and energy to Central students.”

The new Dugmore Hall, scheduled to be completed in fall 2019, will help CWU address the increased demand for student housing resulting from the university’s unprecedented first-year enrollment growth in recent years.

The facility will encompass 105,000 gross square feet and will primarily house first-year students. It will consist of double rooms, double rooms with baths, and a limited number of single rooms as well as study rooms, lounges, laundry areas on each floor, and a communal kitchen on the first floor.

Dugmore taught in CWU’s Department of Psychology for 45 years, from 1969 to 2014, and also provided personal counseling services to students at the Student Medical and Counseling Clinic on campus. In November 2017, the CWU Board of Trustees bestowed on him professor emeritus status for his service to the university.

Born in a small town in southern Utah in 1931, Dugmore earned his PhD in educational psychology with a concentration in counseling from the University of Utah. While at Central, Dugmore taught courses in relationships, personal development, and counseling.

While he frequently taught in large lecture halls, Dugmore always sought to create an open and accepting atmosphere where students could safely explore their identities and values. Students in his classes have said they often felt very connected to him and to each other.

Dugmore was also a committed fan of Central’s music department and attended many of their musical performances throughout the years.